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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. court — for sport
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. court — of law
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bound — obliged
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com